Refrigerator evaporator and shelf lay-out



. R. A. SANDBERG REFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR AND SHELFLAY-OUT- 5'Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 17, 1939.

Filed Nov. 1, 1954 E g v 7 1f 16 fly 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. A. SANDBERG REFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR AND SHELF LAY-OUT Filed Nov. 1, 1954 4 Jan. 17, 1939'.

Jan. 17, 1939.

R. A. SANDBERG REFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR AND SHELF LAY-OUT Filed Nov. 1, 1934 s Sheets-Sheet 3- MN mm mm mm Patented Jan. 17, 1939 REFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR AND SHELF LAY-OUT Ray A. Sandberg, Wankegan,

111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Michig'an Application November 1,1934, Serial No. 750,940

Claims.

This invention relates to a refrigerator evaporator unit which itself serves as an extended shelf or support for ice trays.

More specifically, this invention relates to a stamped sheet metal evaporator unit adapted to be readily mounted in horizontal position near the top of a refrigerator cabinet to cool the same and also form a support for ice trays and the like.

Evaporator units heretofore known have been shaped to define an enclosed sharp freezing chamber or inclosure. This type of construction requires bending operations and the use of added shelf supports and the like for ice trays. Furthermore, the ice trays thus mounted in the sharp freezing chamber, with the exception,

usually of only the lowermost tray, do not have;

intimate thermal contact with the evaporator unit.

' The present invention provides a generally fiat evaporator unit which may be horizontally mounted in a refrigerator cabinet tocool the same and form a supporting shelf for ice trays. According to this invention, the ice trays are not superimposed upon each other, but are each in intimate and extensive thermal contact with a wall of the evaporator unit itself.

Itis therefore an object of this inventionto form a simple and inexpensive evaporator "unit for refrigerator cabinets that is capable of emciently absorbing heat from the cabinet and from trays of liquids to be frozen. 4

A further object of this invention is to provide a flat sheet metal evaporator unit and shelf that is adapted. to be readily mounted in a refrigerator cabinet.

A further object of this invention is to provide a refrigerant expansion chamber having a plurality. of expansion ducts formed by stamped de- I pressions in the walls of the unit, with some of said depressions defining compartments for ice trays.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a flat stamped sheet metal evaporator unit which also forms a support for ice trays and for a moisture collecting tray. Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings which form a part of this specification. v on the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the manner in which an evaporator unit of this invention is mounted in a.

refrigerator cabinet.- 4

Figure 2 is a top plan view of an evaporator unit according to this invention, illustrating the integral ears or lugs for supporting the unit before the lugs are bent downwardly.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of an evaporator unit according to this invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IV-JV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line V--V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a view taken substantially along the line V'I.VI of Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which the evaporator unit is attached to a refrigerator cabinet. I

Figure '7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view takensubstantially along the line VII-VII of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line VIIIVIII of Figure 7.

Asshown on the drawings:

In Figures 1 and 6, the reference numeral Hi indicates generally a refrigerator cabinet of aconventional type having an inside top wall H and side walls l2 and It. An evaporator unit 20, according to this invention, is mounted in the cabinet ill on the side walls I2 and I3, as will be more fully hereinafter described. A front enclosure plate 14 is positioned in front of the evaporator unit. The plate It is preferably suspended from the top H of the cabinet and is in spaced relation from the front of the evaporator unit 20. The plate i4 is provided with a plurality of apertures I5, 16, and H, which are adapted to receive ice trays Hi therethrough. The ice trays l8 rest on the evaporator unit 20 in compartments provided therefor, as will be hereinafter described. Manually operable devices It may conveniently be mounted on the enclosure plate M" for regulating or controlling refrigerating conditions within the refrigerator cabinet.

As best illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive, the evaporator unit 20 of this invention comprises a pair of stamped metal sheets Hand 22 corners of the plate. The cars 22 are bifurcated a at their ends to provide spaced fingers 26, as

shown in Figure 2. These fingers are bent downwardly and serve to mount the finished evaporator unit in a refrigerator cabinet, as will be hereinafter described.

The sheet 2i is stamped to provide a semi cylindrical header portion 25 and a plurality of spaced beads 26 in parallel relation. A bead 2? is also formed at the rear end of the beads 23 at right angles to and connecting the header portion 25 and beads 23. The beads 26 and 22 define the stalls or compartments. 28 for the ice trays it, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 42;.

The bottom wall '22 is stamped to form header depressions 29 and 38 near the ends of the shell. The header portions 23 and 30 are connected by a plurality of smaller stamped portions or beads 3i which serve as refrigerant expansion ducts. A feed duct 32 is stamped centrally of the sheet to traverse and communicate with each of the passages 3i. t

The stamped and cut sheets are then prepared for a welding operation. For this purpose, the sheets are superimposed and thin welding shims or sheets of welding metal (not shown) are preferablyplaced between the sheets, as is more fully described in my copending application entitled Evaporator unit and process, Serial No. 736,183, filed July 20, 1934.

As shown in Figure 4, the stamped sheet or shell 2! is preferably formed with a peripheral flange 33, which is bent around the periphery of the shell 22 to hold the superimposed shells in assembled relation. The assembled unit is then placed in a welding furnace and welded according to the process disclosed in my above referred to application. It should be understood, however, that other welding methods may be used without departing from the scope of this invention.

After the welding operation, the two shells 2i and 22 are thoroughly fused together along all contactingsurfaces, while the stamped portions in the shells form header ducts and refrigerant expansion chambers. As shown in Figure 4, the stamped portions 25 and 29 register with each other to form a tubular header 32. The stamped depression 30 forms a semi-cylindrical header 35 at the opposite side of the unit, connected to said header 35 by the ducts provided by the bead 21 in the upper wall and the beads 3| in the lower wall. 7

The laterally extending ears 23 of the shell 2| are next bent downwardly as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Each finger 24 of the ears 23 is turned inwardly at the end thereof to provide a flange 36 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The 'wall portion 25 of the sheet 2'! is punctured at one end thereof as shown at 3'! to provide an outlet for expanded refrigerant.

The end of the feed conduit 32 in the plate 22 is preferably formed as shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this construction, the' plate 22 is stamped as at 5'! to provide a, receptacle for a strip of reinforcing metal 38 which is stamped into the passageway 32 toreinforce thesame at the end thereof. The top plate H is preferably stamped as shown at 33 to form an arcuate wall portion for the passageway 32 so that the same may be readily Joined with the refrigerant supply conduit 40. (Figures 2 and 3.) As shown in Figure 8, the passageway or duct 32 is enlarged at the end thereof so that the opening thus formed with the portion 33 may readily receive 2,144,510 a V v a standard sized coupling it within the reinforcing strip 38.

Compressed refrigerant from the compressor is suppliedto the evaporator unit through the conduit to and into the distributing duct 32. The refrigerant is allowed to expand through the expansion ducts. 3! into. the headers 29 and 33. As the refrigerant absorbs heat,it is vaporized, and the expanded vapors are withdrawn through the beads 26 and 21, which also act as passageways, into the header 34, from which it is removed through the opening 31 and returned to the compressor.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the evaporator unit is mounted in a refrigerating cabinet from the side walls l2 and i3 thereof and near the top H of the refrigerator. The unit is preferably spaced from the back 3 of the refrigerator cabinet as shown in Figure 6 to permit a free circulation of air in the cabinet. The side walls i2 and i3 of the cabinet it are provided with stud supports, such as bolts ll and the like. The fingers 2d of the unit 26 are slipped over the bolts ti, and the unit is thus readily mounted in operative position.

As described above, the ends of the fingers 23 are turned in at 36. The turned-in portions 33 act as supports for a moisture collecting tray 42 (Figure 1). The tray 82 is readily slid under the unit 20 when the refrigerator is being defrosted. The tray is preferably removed after each defrosting operation.

As shown in Figure 6, the enclosure plate N is suspended from the top H of the cabinet I0 and is in spaced relation in front of the unit 23. The closure plate is provided with apertures I5, i6, and I! (Figure 1) which permit the insertion of ice trays l8 into the stalls 8. The ice trays are therefore in intimate extended thermal contact with the upper wall of the evaporator unit,

and ready freezing of ice cubes in each tray is thus ensured.

It should be understood that the arrangement of header and expansion ducts may be greatly varied without departing from the scope of this invention, since it is obvious that other arrangements for the circulation of refrigerant in the unit may be used.

The invention, therefore, provides a flat evaporator unit for refrigerators that is simple in design, emcient in operation, and cheap. The necessity for occupying large spaces in a refrigerator cabinet for the evaporator unit is avoided, since the unit of this invention does not in any way obstruct more than a small part of the top of the cabinet. The food storage space is thus greatly increased without increasing the size of the cabinet.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore. do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim asmy invention:

1. An evaporatorunit for refrigerators com-' prising complementaryregistering sheet metal a generally fiat shelf for supporting a plurality of ice trays directly thereon and providing heafder compartments and interconnecting expansion.

ducts for refrigerant flow therebetween, said shells being welded together along inner contacting surfaces and one of said shells having integraldownwardly projecting ears at the corners shells joined together'in a single plane to define therebetween expansion ducts for refrigerant flow and a shelf for supporting ice trays directly thereon,,downwardly depending stud engaging flngers at the corners of said shells for mounting the unit, said fingers being flanged at the ends thereof, and a tray slidable therein for collecting moisture when the unit is defrosted.

3. An evaporator unit comprising flat rectangular metal plates having offset portions stamped therein to define tubular headers and communicating passageways between the plates, said plates being welded together in a single plane along all inner contacting surfaces, and having bifurcated fingers extending therefrom at the sides thereof for mounting the unit in a cabinet.

4. A refrigerant cabinet comprising a box having top, rear and side walls, studs projecting from I the side walls spaced from the top wall, and an evaporator unit lying in a single horizontal plane in said box and having dependent apertured ear portions engaging said studs to support the unit entirely from the side walls of the box in spaced relation from the top wall.

5. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a box having top, rear and side walls, studs projecting from the side walls in spaced relation from'the top wall, an evaporator unit lying in a single horizontal plane in said box and having downwardly depending bifurcated ear portions at the corners thereof engaging said studs to support the unit from the side walls of the box in spaced relation from the top wall, said ear portions having inturned flanges formed thereon and a tray slidable on said flanges for collecting moisture from the evaporator unit. 

